Management Committee

Action Village India's management committee is composed of nine committed and skilled individuals, some of whom have been involved with the organisation since its beginning.

Here are statements written by our committee members with reasons why they are involved with AVI:

"I think for me, though, it was my visits to India and the chance to meet people, and then through AVI to remain connected with them that meant I became a supporter. I feel like someone who is part of an extended family and I think that owes a huge amount to Ivan (AVI's coordinator), the original founders of Friends of ASSEFA and many others, and to lots of amazing people in India." - Mary Holmes

"I value the close contact AVI has with the
partners in India, which makes it possible to respond to their needs rather
than imposing solutions. A huge asset here is AVI’s small army of committed supporters . AVI is
an organisation I am proud to be associated with." - Sabrina Aaronovitch

"Being born and spending the first 24 years of my life in India, I was aware of the human suffering and struggle that millions go through in their daily lives, but my sympathy never went beyond donating a little bit of money here and there. A trip to India with AVI in 2005 made me think that I need to do something with my own hands and time. From cooking and selling Indian food at events/parties to volunteering for stalls at urban fairs and even organising a sponsored walk with my friends and family to raise funds. Nearly nine years later, I am very pleased to say that nothing gives me more pleasure than continuing these activities, meeting some inspirational people and making great friends over the years!" - Pallavi Modha

"What makes AVI special in practice is that partnership with its Indian partner organizations really does mean exactly that. It is based on trust and mutual respect which have been built up through a long-term relationship. Decisions are taken by the partners on an equal footing, and funding control is not an issue. AVI operates on a human scale, even if some of its partners have large-scale activities.

The restricted number of partners makes it possible to know each one well, and mutual understanding has been deepened by the many exchanges between AVI supporters and the Indian partners. AVI has also helped to develop a relationship among the different Indian organisations and facilitate a regular exchange of experience and practice. Inevitably, circumstances change and organizations evolve, but AVI has proven its ability to respond with understanding and flexibility." - Alan Leather

"AVI is small, but by bringing a very personal touch, it is able to support really important pieces of work that our partners are often unable to get funded elsewhere. When working in India I became frustrated by the extent to which large funding agencies were able to dictate the agenda, despite often being thousands of miles away. AVI is very much led by it’s partner's needs, as they are the people who are close enough to know what is needed. I also think that the support that AVI gives to capacity building of local organisations is really important." - Katherine Krisp